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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 07-03-01Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>CONTENTS / CONTENU
MIDDAY EXPRESSNews from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefingNouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb01/03/07[01] Commission warns Microsoft of further penalties over unreasonable pricing as interoperability information lacks significant innovationThe European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections (SO) to Microsoft for failing to comply with certain of its obligations under the March 2004 Commission decision (see IP/04/382). Part of that decision found Microsoft to have infringed the EC Treaty rules on abuse of a dominant position (Article 82) by leveraging its near monopoly in the market for PC operating systems onto the market for work group server operating systems. Microsoft therefore had to disclose complete and accurate interface documentation on "reasonable and non-discriminatory terms", allowing non- Microsoft work group servers to interoperate with Windows PCs and servers. The SO indicates the Commission’s preliminary view that there is no significant innovation in the interoperability information, rejecting as unfounded 1500 pages of submissions by Microsoft from December 2005 onwards, and hence that the prices proposed by Microsoft are unreasonable. Microsoft has four weeks to reply to the SO, after which the Commission may impose a daily penalty for failure to comply with the March 2004 decision. The issue of whether the interoperability information is complete and accurate is still under consideration by the Commission.[02] La Commission se félicite de l'ouverture de l'Agence des droits fondamentauxLa détermination de l'Europe à protéger et promouvoir les droits fondamentaux a été encore réaffirmée aujourd'hui avec le lancement à Vienne de l'Agence des droits fondamentaux. La Commission y voit un instrument capital de conseil des institutions communautaires et des Etats membres, de sensibilisation de l'opinion publique et de transmission d'informations et de données étayant les travaux en matière de droits fondamentaux.[03] EU-Jordan : Benita Ferrero Waldner presents €265 million assistance package during her visitEuropean Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, is presenting today in Amman the new aid package that the Commission is proposing for Jordan under the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) for the next four years. The focus of this package is to support the implementation of the Action Plan which has been mutually agreed between the EU and Jordan and it is based on Jordan's reform agenda. This €265 million package, announced during the Commissioner's visit to the country , demonstrates the Commission's commitment to strengthening EU relations with Jordan, a country which is playing a very active role in the European Neighbourhood Policy. Jordan is one of the main beneficiaries of the Commission's support in the region.[04] Commission allocates €1.5 million to victims of internal crisis in East TimorThe European Commission has allocated a further €1.5 million in humanitarian aid to help around 100,000 people displaced or affected by ongoing instability in East Timor. The funds will be used to meet basic needs and facilitate return or resettlement, over a period of 15 months. All funds are channeled through the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel.[05] National representatives meet for the first time to discuss new European Globalisation adjustment Fund (EGF)For the first time ever, national representatives for the European Globalisation adjustment Fund (EGF) will formally meet with the European Commission to discuss the new Fund, which entered into force in January 2007. Representatives from all 27 Member States will attend. The meeting is being organised by the Commission exactly one year after it adopted the proposal for the EGF. The event will be an opportunity for the Commission to set out its proposed approaches to the management, audit and evaluation of the Fund's activities. The meeting will also cover the broader issues around globalisation and the Commission's trade and industrial policies. Since the EGF will be implemented by Member States – with the EU providing up to 50% of the cost – the meeting will bring together the national managing authorities who will deal with any future EGF applications and their implementation. The aim of the meeting is to encourage a rich exchange of views on the best approaches to effectively operating the Fund. The event will be opened by Nikolaus G van der Pas, Director-General of the Commission's DG for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/egf/index_en.html">http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/egf/index_en.html [06] Imagine un monde sans discrimination : l'UE lance un concours photo pour promouvoir la diversitéLes étudiants des académies de photographie des pays de l'Union européenne peuvent prendre position en faveur de la diversité, et montrer leur travail à une audience européenne, en s'inscrivant au concours photo 2007 "Casser les stéréotypes". La compétition aura lieu du 1er mars au 30 juin 2007, dans le cadre de la campagne "Pour la diversité. Contre les discriminations", et de l'Année européenne de l’égalité des chances pour tous.[07] Meglena Kuneva pushes for better European consumer contract lawToday at a conference in Stuttgart, organised by the German Presidency, European Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva presented the state of play of the Review of EU consumer legislation and its relevance for European contract law as a whole. A public consultation, launched on February 8th, aims at modernising and improving consumer contract law. The goal of this process is to achieve a coherent set of contractual rights for consumers throughout the EU. Gaps and inconsistencies in the current legal framework should be removed and laws should be adapted to technological developments as well as internal market barriers resulting from the fragmentation of consumer protection rules in the Member States. A more coherent, clearer and simpler consumer contract law will greatly raise consumers' and business confidence in Europe. The consultation on the Review of existing consumer laws is open until May 15, 2007 and can be found here:<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cons_int/safe_shop/acquis/index_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cons_int/safe_shop/acquis/index_en.htm [08] La recherche de l'UE met en lumière l'importance des régions polaires pour le climat mondialLa Commission européenne a diffusé aujourd'hui un rapport mettant en lumière les avancées dans la compréhension du rôle des régions polaires dans le changement climatique et l'environnement qui ont été accomplies grâce aux programmes cadres de la recherche de l'Union européenne. Un projet, intitulé EPICA, a fait apparaître que les niveaux de dioxyde de carbone sont les plus élevés depuis 650,000 ans, ce qui suscite des préoccupations au sujet de l'intensité du réchauffement de la planète dans l'avenir. Le projet DAMOCLES a examiné l'impact humain et environnemental de la diminution de la couverture des glaces de mer dans l'Arctique. Il a produit des données qui seront précieuses pour prévoir les effets de la font des calottes polaires et mis au point des nouveaux instruments adaptés aux conditions très particulières de l'Arctique. Le rapport arrive au moment où la communauté scientifique internationale lance l'Année polaire internationale, une vaste campagne scientifique qui compte plus de 200 projets auxquels participent des scientifiques de plus de 60 pays en vue de concentrer l'attention du monde sur l'importance des régions polaires pour notre climat. Contribution de l'UE à l'Année polaire internationale, un symposium international, intitulé "Environnement et climat polaires : les défis", qui se tiendra les 5 et 6 mars à Bruxelles sous l'égide de la Commission, rassemblera des scientifiques européens et internationaux de haut niveau et abordera les perspectives futures et les priorités en matière de recherche pour les régions polaires.[09] Flash estimate - February 2007 : Euro area inflation estimated at 1.8%Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 1.8% in February 2007 according to a flash estimate issued by Eurostat. It was 1.8% in January. Euro area inflation is measured by the Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices (MUICP). To compute the MUICP flash estimates, Eurostat uses early price information relating to the reference month from Member States for which data are available as well as early information about energy prices. The flash estimation procedure for the MUICP combines historical information with partial information on price developments in the most recent months to give a total index for the euro area. No detailed breakdown is available. Experience has shown the procedure to be reliable (15 times exactly anticipating the inflation rate and 9 times differing by 0.1 over the last two years). Further information can be found in Eurostat News Release 113/2001 of 5 November 2001.[10] Rapport sur l'état d'avancement du marché unique des services financiersLa Commission européenne a publié son rapport régulier sur l'état d’avancement du marché unique des services financiers, en soulignant les résultats obtenus en 2006. Cette année les promesses du Livre blanc sur les services financiers (2005-2010) ont été tenues. Des résultats considérables ont aussi été obtenus dans la lute contre la délinquance financière et dans l'amélioration du cadre communautaire en matière de droit des sociétés, de comptabilité et d'audit.[11] Autre matériel diffuséStatement of Objections to Microsoft for non-compliance with March 2004 decision - frequently asked questionsEuropean Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) Speech by Franco Frattini : "Fundamental Rights: Fundamental to Europe's identity" at launch of the Agency (Vienna) Economic Partnership Agreements : questions and answers Remarks by Siim Kallas on the draft report on the 2005 budget discharge at the European Parliament Discours de Mme Danuta Hübner : "Can Europe connect with the regions?" à l'Institut Supérieur du Management Public et Politique (28/02) Speech by Joaquin Almunia : "Convergencia y ajustes en el seno de la zona euro" at the joint meeting EMAC / National Parliaments (28/02) Speech by Margot Wallström on behalf of Benita Ferrero-Waldner to the
European Parliament conference on the Northern dimension (28/02)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/ Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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